My goal is to help you manage the balance between work and your family and personal lives. I'll focus on creative solutions to conflicting demands, new strategies for helping people juggle responsibilities, and new trends and developments.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Some moms go back to work

I am discovering that a growing number of women do not fall into clear-cut "working mom" and "at-home mom" categories. When I drop my children at school in the mornings, I see moms this year in work clothes who used to be there in t-shirts and shorts. Their transformation indicates more employer willingness to embrace women who want to return to the workforce. And, it shows that more moms are sliding back and forth between two worlds. Far more moms work part-time than I ever imagined. And today's full-time working mom might take some time off once she's gotten a key promotion or burned out. We're seeing more moms slide back and forth from stay-at-home to back-at-work depending on their kids' ages, families' financial needs and moms' desires. Over the 10 years I've been a mom, I've worked full-time and part-time. I've blended in on playgrounds and in boardrooms. Contrary to the controversy about the mommy track, I don't see that womens' careers suffer over the long run from time-off. Women returning to the workforce may not find the ideal job right away. They may have to sacrifice salary or title. But sliding along the work-home spectrum has allowed me and other moms to bring ethusiasm to motherhood and paid work. What's your experience? Has combining work and parenthood been easier or harder than you imagined?

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About this blog

Cindy Krischer Goodman writes The Balancing Act column for The Miami Herald. She has been a reporter and business columnist since 1994. The mother of three children, she brings her personal experiences to her beat. Cindy grew up in Miami and has a degree in journalism from University of Florida. Off the job, she exercises, reads, volunteers in schools, and cares for her children. Email her at cgoodman@miamiherald.com